Playing God: Should anyone be allowed edit their DNA using CRISPR technology?

Summary

The video explores the growing popularity of genetic testing and gene editing technologies, particularly CRISPR, in the US and China. In the US, people use genetic tests to learn about their ancestry, while in China, the focus is on planning for future health. The video highlights ethical concerns and the potential for misuse of gene editing, as well as the democratization of the technology through biohacking. It features interviews with prominent scientists and biohackers who discuss the profound implications and challenges of genetic modification, from disease prevention to the creation of 'designer' humans and animals.

Takeaways

• 🔬 Genetic testing companies are popular in the US for heritage insights and in China for future health planning.
• 🧬 CRISPR technology can alter physical traits and treat life-threatening diseases.
• ⚖️ The ethical implications of CRISPR, including human enhancement, are a significant concern.
• 🧑‍🔬 Biohackers, like Josiah Zener, are making genetic engineering accessible outside traditional labs.
• 💡 CRISPR allows precise gene editing, which can target and alter specific genes in organisms.
• 🌍 China is leading in CRISPR research and application, including gene-edited human embryos and animals.
• 🐶 CRISPR has been used to create more muscular beagles by editing their myostatin gene.
• 🏥 Gene editing has potential applications in medical research, such as creating animal models for diseases.
• 🛠️ CRISPR technology is becoming democratized, with tools and kits available for public use.
• 💪 Josiah Zener conducted a self-experiment to enhance his muscle growth using CRISPR, highlighting the DIY potential of the technology.

Q & A

Why do people in the US and China take genetic tests for different reasons?

In the US, people take genetic tests to learn about their heritage and lineage, while in China, people take these tests to understand their health risks and plan for the future.

What is CRISPR and why is it considered a game changer?

CRISPR is a tool that allows for precise genetic modifications. It can alter physical traits and even treat life-threatening diseases, giving humans the power to control evolution.

What ethical concerns arise from the use of CRISPR technology?

The potential to genetically modify humans raises ethical issues, including the concept of 'playing God' and the risks of creating 'designer humans'.

Who is Josiah Zener and what is his significance in the biohacker movement?

Josiah Zener is a former NASA scientist turned biohacker. He is a prominent figure in the biohacker movement, advocating for genetic engineering technology to be accessible to the public.

How is CRISPR technology different in terms of regulation and funding in the US and China?

In the US, gene editing is not illegal, but federal funding is limited. In China, the government fully supports CRISPR research, providing significant funding and promoting rapid advancements.

What are some notable achievements in CRISPR research in China?

China has led in gene-edited firsts, such as creating CRISPR-edited human embryos and genetically modifying animals like muscular beagles and pigs for medical research.

What potential applications of CRISPR technology are scientists excited about?

Scientists are excited about using CRISPR to treat diseases, enhance physical traits, and conduct new types of biological research that were previously impossible.

What are some of the societal concerns related to CRISPR technology?

Concerns include the potential for misuse of the technology, such as creating 'designer pets' or enhancing humans in ways that could lead to inequality or unforeseen consequences.

How does Josiah Zener justify the use of CRISPR technology by individuals?

Zener argues that CRISPR technology should be democratized and accessible to individuals, allowing them to take control of their own health and potentially make significant scientific contributions.

What is the general sentiment in the US towards CRISPR and gene editing?

In the US, there is a mix of excitement and apprehension. While some see the potential for significant medical advancements, others are concerned about ethical implications and the role of playing God.

Outlines

00:00

🧬 Genetic Testing: Differences Between the US and China

The video discusses the popularity of genetic testing in the US and China, highlighting different motivations. In the US, people seek information about their heritage and lineage, whereas in China, individuals use genetic information to plan for future health, such as altering lifestyles to mitigate risks of diseases like Alzheimer's. The introduction of CRISPR as a game-changing technology in gene editing is also mentioned, raising ethical concerns about its potential to modify human evolution.

05:02

✂️ CRISPR Technology and Its Impact

CRISPR, a tool that allows precise genetic editing, has revolutionized biology. It consists of a protein acting as scissors and a GPS-like guide to target specific gene sequences. CRISPR's potential to treat diseases and alter physical traits is vast. Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna, pioneers of CRISPR, emphasize its ability to enhance research capabilities. The video also touches on China's aggressive pursuit of CRISPR research, contrasting it with the cautious approach in the US.

10:03

🐕 China's Bold CRISPR Experiments

China's leading position in CRISPR research is showcased through various experiments, such as creating muscular beagles by editing their myostatin gene. Dr. Lin Lang Shui, a key CRISPR researcher, discusses the ease and speed of creating genetically modified animals using CRISPR, which has significant implications for medical research. Ethical concerns about potential misuse of the technology and differences in cultural attitudes toward animals between China and the West are also explored.

15:08

🔬 Personal Control Through Biohacking

The personal journey of a biohacker, Josiah Zayner, is highlighted, including his background, motivations, and experiments with CRISPR on himself. Zayner, a former NASA scientist, advocates for democratizing genetic engineering and making it accessible to the public. His efforts to sell genetic engineering kits and perform self-experiments illustrate a grassroots approach to scientific exploration. The video contrasts this with the high costs and regulatory hurdles faced by traditional scientific research.

20:09

⚖️ Ethical and Regulatory Challenges of CRISPR

The final segment delves into the broader implications of CRISPR technology, discussing the potential for creating 'designer humans' and the ethical dilemmas this poses. The video addresses the tension between rapid scientific advancement and regulatory oversight, emphasizing the need for ethical considerations in gene editing. The perspectives of various stakeholders, including biohackers, academics, and commercial entities, are presented, highlighting the diverse views on the future of genetic engineering.

Keywords

💡Genetic Testing

Genetic testing involves analyzing DNA to identify changes or mutations that may lead to health risks or ancestry information. In the video, it highlights the different reasons for its popularity in the US and China; Americans use it to discover their heritage, while the Chinese use it to plan for their health future.

💡CRISPR

CRISPR is a revolutionary gene-editing tool that allows scientists to alter DNA sequences with high precision. The video discusses its potential to change physical traits and cure diseases, as well as the ethical concerns surrounding its use in humans and animals.

💡Biohacking

Biohacking refers to DIY biology, where individuals experiment with genetic engineering outside traditional labs. The video features Josiah Zayner, a former NASA scientist turned biohacker, who uses CRISPR in home labs and advocates for making genetic engineering accessible to everyone.

💡Designer Humans

Designer humans refer to genetically modified individuals with selected traits such as enhanced strength or intelligence. The video explores the ethical implications of using CRISPR to create humans with specific attributes, raising concerns about playing God and the societal impacts.

💡Gene Editing

Gene editing involves altering an organism's DNA to change or improve traits. The video covers how CRISPR enables precise gene editing and discusses various experiments, including creating muscular dogs and potential treatments for diseases like Alzheimer's.

💡Ethical Concerns

Ethical concerns relate to the moral implications and potential consequences of genetic engineering. The video emphasizes the ethical minefield of CRISPR, questioning the justification of altering life and the risks of unintended consequences or misuse.

💡Human Enhancement

Human enhancement through genetic editing aims to improve physical or mental abilities beyond the natural human range. The video discusses the potential of CRISPR to enhance humans and the debate over whether such enhancements should be pursued.

💡Regulation

Regulation involves setting legal and ethical guidelines for using genetic technologies. The video contrasts the cautious approach of the US government with China's aggressive support of CRISPR research, highlighting the challenges in controlling and monitoring genetic editing.

💡Genetic Engineering Kits

Genetic engineering kits are tools that allow individuals to perform gene editing experiments. Josiah Zayner's company sells these kits to the public, making CRISPR technology accessible and illustrating the democratization of genetic engineering.

💡China's CRISPR Research

China's CRISPR research is marked by significant government funding and rapid advancements. The video showcases Chinese scientists leading in gene-edited firsts, such as creating muscular dogs, reflecting China's strong commitment to genetic research.

Highlights

Genetic testing companies are popular in the US for heritage insights and in China for health planning.

CRISPR is a powerful tool for altering physical traits and curing life-threatening diseases.

Biohackers like Josiah Zener use CRISPR technology outside traditional labs to experiment on themselves.

CRISPR allows precise targeting and modification of genes responsible for diseases or physical traits.

China leads in CRISPR research with significant government funding, unlike the US where federal funding is limited.

CRISPR's potential includes not just medical advancements but also ethical concerns about human enhancement and designer babies.

The discovery of CRISPR's gene-cutting abilities was a significant breakthrough by researchers at UC Berkeley and the Max Planck Institute.

CRISPR's democratization means even modestly resourced labs can adopt the technology, leading to rapid advancements.

Biohackers advocate for public access to genetic engineering technology, likening its use to smartphone apps.

CRISPR has already been used to create genetically modified animals, such as super-muscular beagles in China.

The ethical debate around CRISPR includes concerns about playing God and the potential for unintended consequences.

CRISPR could allow humans to take unprecedented control over their evolution and biological destiny.

There is a growing interest in using CRISPR for personalized genetic modifications to enhance human abilities and health.

Biohackers' experiments, such as Josiah Zener's self-modification, highlight the DIY aspect of genetic engineering.

CRISPR technology raises questions about the future of human evolution and the ethical implications of genetic modifications.

Transcripts

[Music]

so these genetic testing companies have

become quite popular both in the US and

in China but for very very different

reasons in the u.s. most people take

these tests because they want to know a

little bit about where they come from

they want to know their heritage their

lineage and whatnot your China though

people want to know what their DNA says

about them so that they can plan for the

future if people are let's say prone to

heart disease or to Alzheimer's they may

change their lifestyles I'm doing this

because I want to know if I'm at risk of

having Alzheimer's like my father

prease para is itself a new game changer

CRISPR is a tool that can alter physical

traits even life-threatening diseases

wave can use technology to let keep

suffer from there's something really

uncomfortable about this so for less

than $1,000 you're gonna genetically

modify humans or human cells this gives

us the power to control evolution yeah

with this technology human can't do that

the potential of this genetic editing

tool is an ethical minefield that

challenges the idea of life itself

my concern is human enhancement or

designer humans yes let's do it see what

happens

you know I've genetically modified

myself with CRISPR people say like

you're playing God and I love when

people say that

I think it's so true and brilliant

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to the community by everybody and came

to the first global gathering of

biohackers a term for biologists who

work outside of traditional labs

[Applause]

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[Applause]

want them saner perhaps how you doing

ma'am how you I woke up on the floor of

the kitchen so lord I can't believe you

came

Josiah Zener is a former NASA scientist

turned bio hacker he's become a kind of

a breakout star of the bio hacker

movement a movement that he wants to

remain in the hands of the people away

from the influence of the scientific

establishment you've gotten the

attention of an MIT

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none

yeah so we converted the house into a

scientific lab and company we sell

genetic engineering kids to people

Josiah's kits contain gene cutting tools

and bacterial DNA so there's five of us

what we are trying to do is make genetic

engineering technology accessible to

people we want people to be able to use

genetic engineering technology as easily

as they could use an app on their

smartphone in the US gene editing is

technically not illegal but federal

funding is either prohibited or

extremely difficult to obtain it's a box

that has all our different DNA's and

other things for our yeast CRISPR

experiments we're designing new kits

that allow people to engineer brewing

and baking yeast with CRISPR Josiah's

business and the bio hacker movement it

helps service came to exist largely

because of one new tool called CRISPR

short for clustered regularly

interspaced short palindromic repeats

what CRISPR does is it allows you to

directly target any sequence and

somebody's genome in their genes that

you want and make whatever change you

want CRISPR consists of two key

components a protein which works like a

pair of scissors and what's essentially

GPS which tells the scissors where to

cut it can precisely cut a gene that's

responsible for disease and replace or

fix it it can also alter genes that

determine hair color eye color or body

composition

so it's a kind of filmstrip you can edit

the the fate and the story of a life of

a sudden organism with this technology

dr. emmanuel sharpen TA at the Max

Planck Institute for infection biology

in Germany is one half of the duo that

discovered CRISPR gene cutting abilities

she and her research partner Jennifer

Doudna of UC Berkeley harnessed a

naturally-occurring defense system in

bacteria it's a tool that really

increases a lot of the potential of

research and development in biology

that's a pretty incredible discovery yes

yes yes it's a it's very nice very

modest about this

[Laughter]

I will expect and this is maybe the most

exciting aspect from here Crispo is that

there will be a lot a lot of new

mechanisms revealed

maybe former dogmas that will be

challenged

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with the help of CRISPR the floodgates

have opened to all sorts of new

experimentation previously unthinkable

China currently leads the way in gene

edited firsts including CRISPR edited

human embryos in 2015

you do you have pets at home love my

wife they love like unlike the US

government's cautious approach the

Chinese government is all in on CRISPR

research providing most of the funding

for dozens of the country's CRISPR

projects researchers at this lab used

CRISPR to isolate and manipulate the

beagles muscle or myostatin gene making

these the most muscular beagles in the

world aside from being more muscular

everything else is okay he's healthy can

you edit in my myostatin gene as I

jokingly contemplated enhancing my own

muscles which in editing the rabbit hole

of this technology revealed do you worry

that we're approaching a day when people

say

I want to designer dog I want a dog that

glows in the dark I want an extra

muscular that's as us it's a sort of

memory confirmed that it's a crisp stop

it also is besides the word gender that

you saw New York hello yo yo yo can we

what you then you say Xiang ji ki Fateh

Allah

now I'm gonna punish evil cannot repay

ya

dr. Lin Lang Shui is one of China's

leading CRISPR researchers in a pioneer

in the field

he runs several labs including the one

responsible for the mutant dogs he also

educates students about genetics

research you know what you don't know

what are the Hajj intent or the Torah

Jesus on it all may win

so far you know Chris Berg talks clicks

rabbit and mouse the most excited that

if I want make something animal in

paramedicine now I can achieve very

easily before if I want to the other

maybe in a way to give me several years

and the millions of us suit owner to

just achieve one genetically modified

animals now very fast and really

expensive from a scientific perspective

is very exciting

every Sanchez and I like this kind of a

technology they can use this technology

to to make what they want but from the

society maybe there was some live the

concerns and the concerns and maybe some

people we are abusively use this

technology to make some sense whether we

are

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I'm here in the market district in

Guangzhou and I'm seeing all sorts of

dried plants try to animal parts and

lots of animals that you might not

expect to see and it can be kind of

jarring and uncomfortable at times but

it's important to remember that here in

China

animals aren't viewed the way they are

on the West people don't have warm and

fuzzy feelings about animals the way we

might animals are largely seen for their

utility or their function they are a

means to an end and you can see that

playing out across Chinese society even

across science so you look at the

application of CRISPR across all kinds

of different animals

today let's go

this makes our unit efficient vehicle so

there we are suffer from infected very

easily but with this model we can do

many many experimental cancer research

and the immuno research and effectually

delayed the research so this we use a

Christopher to knock out two key at one

time try to make Parkinson disease and

Alzheimer's disease pigs and humans

share similar genomes we have the same

immune systems and digestive systems and

suffer from many of the same decisions

if we succeed in Peaks then we can trans

transfer this technology into from the

technology as a beggar

we should not button so far you know the

regulation and condom allow us to do

that seeing all these page in Frisco is

so wild there's still something very

very uncomfortable

I think that what makes Americans

nervous about CRISPR and about gene

editing off all humans yeah but I also

think you know one of the concerns is

because it is a very religious country

the CRISPR allows humans it puts so much

power into our hands it allows us to

shape our world in ways never before

imagined and there are many people in

the US who think well that's no that's

not for us to do that's that's for a

higher power that's for God all right so

the idea that we could be playing the

role of God makes a lot of people

nervous okay prevent disease is a good

thing it really occurred the same some

genetic days before we come modified

this Cobo here with this kind of genetic

background a you for the cat the baby

the baby will have some defect why I

don't know it just changes others this

kind of technology the atomic bomb if

you use the tool BK electricity is good

if we use you them the other part is a

bad dipping down who use it right

I did that myself the word create is

like it was my first attempt and then

when I got to something and beautiful it

looks a lot better but my parents were

really religious my father was a

preacher my mother was really religious

I grew up but it was that it was the

crazy Christianity where people thought

that he could like heal people and like

speak in tongues was a pretty

interesting young life

[Music]

my whole life I've never really had

control of anything right I grew up like

really poor and religion tries to give

you a semblance of control right like

the devil is the problem and God will

help you pray and things will be better

but there wasn't a lot of control in

that James Clare he's the cutest he's

only got one eye and so I can't pound

science its captivated me science has

really captivated me if something went

wrong here's possible ways you can fix

it maybe they work maybe they don't but

these are possible ways you can fix your

problem to me it allows me to take back

control of my life and maybe help other

people this is pretty cool

what I got is a electroporator it shocks

your cells and that helps DNA get inside

the cells oh I got it on eBay for $400

that's pretty sweet

I think the shipping was the most

expensive part and it makes you wonder

why scientists need hundreds of

thousands or millions of dollars when

you can get this stuff for hundreds of

dollars working

Crispus not at all yeah it is so helpful

to really boost the the development of

other strategies to treat diseases

surely it is very phenomenon now having

said this you have controversies with

regard to whether the technology should

be used for genetically modifying human

embryos to design babies with certain

genetic traits advancements and genetic

screenings of human embryos allow

scientists to create organisms by design

not by chance coupled with the rise of

consumer genetic sequencing and large

investments made in the private sector

humanity's genetic toolbox is

dramatically expanding because CRISPR is

such a powerful technology that has such

enormous potential that you've you've

captured the imaginations of so many

people around the world including large

companies private you know wealthy

private individuals can that research

actually be contained and regulated

because there's so much private interest

in this and this is an interesting

aspect is that that allowed a very very

fast way of scientists to adopt the

technology in their labs and the name

democratization of the technology

extremely fast because this is a

technology which everyone can can use

even a lab with with very modest

resources

[Music]

let's do it see what happens

biopsy punch Oh

Josiah uses blog posts to chronicle his

CRISPR experiments including one he did

on his own genome so I used this CRISPR

system designed to edit a gene in my

muscles that would make them grow faster

be bigger and make me stronger it was

just a localized injection and

modification to my forearm oh girl it

was a proof of concept a proof of

principle to show people how easy it was

what was the result of well so the

results take a while right so with human

genetic modification especially in

adults the results take months right so

it's kind of like shooting up with

steroids or something right

shut up with steroids and you're not

gonna see big muscles like in the next

day or probably not even the next week

it takes a bit of time can't believe I

just did that

this guy from Community College sent me

an email he wants thousand students for

CRISPR lab I think we're gonna have our

new CRISPR system hopefully in like the

next couple weeks

switch over some of the great scientific

breakthroughs using CRISPR do you think

that it's possible that some of these

that could emanate from from labs like

this oh there are they're definitely

gonna happen from bio hackers and

because the thing is nobody else can do

the clinical trials right like there's

been myself was the first ever human

CRISPR experiment first-ever didn't

happen in a big lab I don't have

millions or billions even hundreds of

thousands of dollars right but that's it

that's where these first human CRISPR

experiment happened it happened like

from me from a place like this so you

think that we were like we're grabbing

evolution by the balls and just plowing

forward into a whole new era I mean we

have been for a while right like humans

stopped stopped being involved in

natural selection a long time ago right

any sort of human that's born that has

problems or defects or diseases we don't

kill it we try our best to keep it alive

right and that's anti natural selection

I get like two three five ten emails a

day while people who want to use genetic

engineering in some way right maybe to

help them with their disease

you know what no person with cancer has

ever told me ever like hey I don't want

to try that out because it might hurt me

they've never said that to me ever hey I

don't want to try that out because it

might be dangerous but you know you

don't think this technology could spur

a widespread movement to create the

perfect human six to certain eye color

certain hair color certain body

composition musculature here's the thing

there is no I don't think perfect human

right we all enjoy different aspects of

ourselves we all enjoy different aspects

of other people whose to stop somebody

from being the person that they see

themselves as glowing to be big muscley

do I want to high endurance do I want to

have dark color skin or light color skin

or whatever you want now we actually get

to take control and say like where do we

want to go from here

and you ask these academics and

commercial scientists in the u.s. you

say are we on the verge of

do-it-yourself gene-editing

are we on the verge of everything

changing and they're like no it's never

gonna happen

it's like the night before the

revolution and everybody's outside with

their you know flashlights and torches

and and you have all these people who

still don't think it's gonna happen like

it's gonna create a whole new species of

humans

hi I'm good yeah I'm just I'm just

pulling up your email can you help me

understand what all of this means yep

I'm ready

[Laughter]

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you

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